1. Field
The following description relates to a method of determining a required blood flow based on a medical image, a method of producing a blood flow image, and a method of processing a myocardial perfusion image.
2. Description of Related Art
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a disease characterized by reduced blood supply of the heart muscle, usually due to coronary artery stenosis. Diagnosing IHD may be largely based on detection of an abnormality in a motion of the heart wall, determination of a degree of cardiac stenosis based on a shape of a coronary artery, and quantitative measurement of a blood flow to the myocardium.
To detect an abnormality in a motion of the heart wall, echocardiography (ECG), cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be used. To determine a degree of cardiac stenosis based on a shape of a coronary artery, coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography, magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, catheter coronary angiography (CAG), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and other techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be used. To measure a blood flow to the myocardium quantitatively, a pressure guide wire, positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), perfusion MRI, and other techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be used.
Use of image processing techniques in diagnosing of IHD has advanced at a rapid rate. Applications of these image processing techniques in a medical image of the heart or cardiovascular system may achieve an accurate, simple, convenient, and non-invasive diagnosis of IHD.